If true, and the NFL still must approve the contract, this makes Payton the highest-paid coach in America, among all sports, according to Forbes, surpassing what the magazine lists as the $7.5 million the New England Patriots annually pay Bill Belichick.

Without this new deal, New Orleans was in danger of losing Payton after the NFL had voided his original extension signed in 2011 as a result of the team's bounty scandal. There's no doubt Payton would have garnered a ton of attention, but clearly Saints owner Tom Benson saw it as a top priority to keep his Super Bowl-winning coach.

Given the Saints' 7-8 record and missing the playoffs while Payton has served his season-long suspension, you can't argue with Benson's decision to not only make the deal to retain him but also to pay top dollar.